Went 3-0-1 in GBu. I had both Golgari and Simic cluestones, I only played the simic one. They're much better in mana-heavy decks where you care about ramping. I also ended up cycling them more than once.
Notable Sideboard:
I sideboarded in Aerial Predation a bunch. I had other good cards, but nothing good enough to side in.
Notes about cards:
1. Varolz + Jarad is game over. Really, just Jarad on his own is game over though.
2. Sewer Shambler is great. Pretty much everyone was playing black, and in a set where most games had board stalls, he could get through.
3. Most games came down to the fact that there are almost no fliers in this set. Thrashing Mossdog was super important because it stopped the decks that had double blue guildpacks and actually had fliers.
4. Fatal Fumes may look like it's removal, but it's secretly a combat trick. Treat it and expect it accordingly.
5. Runner's Bane was not very good. Keep in mind that if you pump the creature, the bane falls off. It's more of a twiddle or a sleep for a creature than actual removal.
Minimum hand size is the same as maximum hand size. During the clean-up step, if you have less than 2 cards in your hand, you draw cards equal to the difference. Like Damia, Sage of Stone, but 2 instead of 7.
Looking at the 3 cards from the previous YMTC, I grew to appreciate Crucible of Worlds. This is because of the simplicity of the card text. One line, 8 words was all we needed for a unique and powerful effect. I wonder if we can do the same thing for enchantments?
Here's my challenge: Design an enchantment (of any one color) with a card text of one line and 12 words or less. I'll start:
I wouldn't say that pure lifegain cards are always bad, they just have to be really efficient before they're worth playing. If you go back to Innistrad, Gnaw to the Bone was definiitely playable in the Spider Spawning archetype.
I would argue that Predator's Rapport is strong enough that it is worth including in Gruul. Is it good on turn 5? Probably not, unless you end up with a god draw and are swinging for 9 with a bloodrushed monstrosity off mana acceleration. Is it good on turn 7-8 when Orzhov or Boros has you down to 2-3 and you can swing with your Zhur-Taa Swine or Crowned Cernatok and bloodthirst it? Definitely.
For every Boros deck that runs 1-drop into 2-drop into 3-drop with haste battalion, there's a boros deck that has played 1-2 creatures by turn 4. Limited isn't nearly consistent enough that you can't play spells that are only good after turn 5.
I'm playing Gruul against Orzhov, they're slowly draining me to death. I have a Zhur-Taa Swine out. Attack, no blocks. Pump with Ghor-Clan Rampager, follow up with Miming Slime. They take 9, I end up with a 9/9. Next turn, cast Predator's Rapport on my Miming Slime, gaining 18
I will always pick up one of these for a Gruul deck. With Bloodthirst, I'm routinely gaining 15+ life off of it. Even without bloodthirst, just casting it on a Zhur-Taa Swine is 9 life, which can swing the game, especially against Orzhov.
Here's my Simic Guildpack:
Rare: Biovisionary
Uncommon: Simic Charm
Uncommon: Aetherize
Uncommon: Rust Scarab
Common: Prophetic Prism
Common: Crocanura
Common: Ivy Lane Denizen
Common: Hydroform
Common: Leyline Phantom
Common: Scatter Arc
Common: Wildwood Rebirth
Common: Frilled Oculus
Common: Shambleshark
Common: Burst of Strength
Common: Simic Guildgate
Both this one and Golgari #1 are amazing for limited. Hope that you pull them!
1 Centaur's Herald
1 Daggerdrone Imp
1 Kraul Warrior
1 Rakdos Drake
1 Sewer Shambler
1 Trestle Troll
1 Crocanura
1 Varolz, the Scar-Striped
1 Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
1 Ivy Lane Denizen
2 Thrashing Mossdog
1 Rust Scarab
1 Prophetic Prism
1 Simic Cluestone
1 Grisly Salvage
1 Warped Physique
1 Simic Charm
1 Stab Wound
1 Krasis Incubator
2 Fatal Fumes
1 Give//Take
1 Golgari Guildgate
1 Simic Guildgate
1 Island
7 Forest
7 Swamp
Notable Sideboard:
I sideboarded in Aerial Predation a bunch. I had other good cards, but nothing good enough to side in.
Notes about cards:
1. Varolz + Jarad is game over. Really, just Jarad on his own is game over though.
2. Sewer Shambler is great. Pretty much everyone was playing black, and in a set where most games had board stalls, he could get through.
3. Most games came down to the fact that there are almost no fliers in this set. Thrashing Mossdog was super important because it stopped the decks that had double blue guildpacks and actually had fliers.
4. Fatal Fumes may look like it's removal, but it's secretly a combat trick. Treat it and expect it accordingly.
5. Runner's Bane was not very good. Keep in mind that if you pump the creature, the bane falls off. It's more of a twiddle or a sleep for a creature than actual removal.
My most common win con was:
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Varolz, the Scar-Striped. They are bffls!
So far, I want to tip my hat to Natural Defenses and Heroes Solace. Very flavorful without being over the top.
Here's another attempt at a card:
Savage Song 2G
Creatures on the battlefield lose all abilities.
Here's my challenge: Design an enchantment (of any one color) with a card text of one line and 12 words or less. I'll start:
Rage Pit 1RR
Enchantment
Each player's minimum hand size becomes two.
edit: Found out how to find QP's, still no idea on win/loss.
I would argue that Predator's Rapport is strong enough that it is worth including in Gruul. Is it good on turn 5? Probably not, unless you end up with a god draw and are swinging for 9 with a bloodrushed monstrosity off mana acceleration. Is it good on turn 7-8 when Orzhov or Boros has you down to 2-3 and you can swing with your Zhur-Taa Swine or Crowned Cernatok and bloodthirst it? Definitely.
For every Boros deck that runs 1-drop into 2-drop into 3-drop with haste battalion, there's a boros deck that has played 1-2 creatures by turn 4. Limited isn't nearly consistent enough that you can't play spells that are only good after turn 5.
I will always pick up one of these for a Gruul deck. With Bloodthirst, I'm routinely gaining 15+ life off of it. Even without bloodthirst, just casting it on a Zhur-Taa Swine is 9 life, which can swing the game, especially against Orzhov.
In cube, all bets are off. I'll run 41 cards almost as often as I run 40, if I would rather have 17.5 lands than 17. Or 16.5 lands instead of 16.